Skip to main content
About
About the RACP
What is a physician or paediatrician?
Membership
College structure
Board and governance
College Council
Committees
Accreditation
Ethics
Consumer Advisory Group
Special Interest Groups
The ROC
Multi-factor authentication
Our heritage
Get involved
Careers at RACP
Medical positions
MyRACP
Congress 2024
News and Events
News
The President's Message
RACP 2024 Elections
Media releases
Events
Congress 2024
Expressions of Interest
RACP in the media
COVID-19
Quick facts
Policy and Advocacy
Represent your profession
Policy and Advocacy Priorities
Policy and Advocacy Library
CPAC reports
Evolve
Voice to Parliament
Make It The Norm
Division, Faculty and Chapter Priorities
Regional Committee Priorities
RACP Foundation
Donate to Foundation
About us
Research Awards and Career Grants
College and Congress prizes
Division, Faculty and Chapter Awards & Prizes
Regional Awards & Prizes
Indigenous Scholarships & Prizes
International Grants
Student Scholarships & Prizes
Terms and Conditions
Our recipients
Contact us
Toggle mobile menu
Search
Home
Become a Physician
Trainees
Fellows
Overseas specialists
About
About the RACP
What is a physician or paediatrician?
Membership
College structure
Board and governance
College Council
Committees
Accreditation
Ethics
Consumer Advisory Group
Special Interest Groups
The ROC
Multi-factor authentication
Our heritage
College Roll
College timeline
History of Medicine Library
Past office bearers
Get involved
Careers at RACP
Medical positions
MyRACP
News and Events
Expressions of Interest
Policy and Advocacy
RACP Foundation
Wellbeing
Contact us
Pomegranate Health
Congress 2024 Dashboard
Close menu
▲
Search
Open section menu
▼
About
About the RACP
What is a physician or paediatrician?
Membership
College structure
Board and governance
College Council
Committees
Accreditation
Ethics
Consumer Advisory Group
Special Interest Groups
The ROC
Multi-factor authentication
Our heritage
College Roll
College timeline
History of Medicine Library
Past office bearers
Get involved
Careers at RACP
Medical positions
MyRACP
Open section menu
▼
College Roll Bio
Fairfax, Edward Wilfred
Share
Qualifications
MB ChM Syd (1899) LRCP,MRCS (1901) FRACP (1940)
Born
21/09/1874
Died
29/10/1952
Edward Wilfred Fairfax was born in Sydney, the sixth son of James Reading Fairfax whose father, John Fairfax, had been one of the founders of the
Sydney Morning Herald
, and the original owner of the building which, ninety years later, became the office of the College. He was educated at Bath College, England, and at the Sydney Grammar School. He studied medicine at the University of Sydney and graduated in 1899. After completing a year of residency training at the (Royal) Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, he continued his studies in England. In 1903, soon after his return from England, he was appointed to the honorary medical staff of the RPAH, commencing a remarkable career of service to the Hospital, which was to continue until his death in 1952, and to include a period as a member of the board of directors. In the same year he married Marguerite Lamb, and there were two sons and a daughter of the marriage.
His life was said to be quiet and unassuming, and he was always conscious of the needs of the less privileged with whom he was so closely associated when he commenced practice in Liverpool Street, Sydney. In keeping with this interest he gave his services freely to such organisations as Dr Barnardo's Homes, The Bush Nursing Association and the Boys' Brigade. He had an additional interest in the aerial medical services for the people in the remote areas of New South Wales. He was a respected clinical teacher and held an appointment at the University of Sydney as a lecturer in clinical medicine from 1912 to 1934.
His opinion was also valued in the business community and he served as a director of the family company John Fairfax & Sons, the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, and the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney.
His medical appointments included those of honorary physician to St Vincent's Hospital, 1913-20, honorary consulting physician to the Royal Hospital for Women, and honorary physician to the sanatoria of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Red Cross Society, 1919-24. In addition he was physician-in-charge of the tuberculosis department of the Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, from 1919 to 1924.
During the First World War he served as physician to the First Australian General Hospital at Rouen in France and as consulting physician to the British Fifth Army, with the rank of colonel.
His was a distinguished career of service to medicine and to the community with competence in clinical teaching and commercial matters, but with a compassion for others which was so evident in the quiet support he gave to those less privileged than himself.
Author
RJ MULHEARN
References
Med J Aust
, 1953,
1
, 166
Last Updated
May 30, 2018, 17:37 PM
Close overlay